There was a time when watching sports meant three hours on the couch in front of the TV, but not anymore. With today’s sophisticated mobile devices and faster networks, you can now take your sports with you wherever you go.

Whether you want to catch a live football game, watch highlights from last night’s basketball play-offs, or get regular updates from today’s baseball games, your smartphone has you covered. Here are a few of our favorite apps:

NFL Mobile

A must-have app for every football fan, the NFL Mobile app from Verizon features live NFL games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, plus every touchdown from every game on Sunday afternoons with NFL RedZone. You can follow your favorite team, get the latest NFL news, track your NFL.com Fantasy Football teams, listen to live audio coverage of every game, and access video-on-demand. The live games and RedZone features require a monthly subscription.

Platform:iOS, Android

MLB.com At Bat

With MLB.com At Bat you can watch the free MLB.TV Game of the Day or access your MLB.TV subscription to watch every out-of-market game live. You can also get home and away radio broadcasts, in-progress video highlights, breaking news, and all the standings, rosters and stats. There is also a classic games library, and a video archive searchable by player, team or keyword. At Bat is free to download but premium content requires a subscription of $14.99 per year or $2.99 per month. An MLB.TV subscription is extra.

Platform:iOS, Android, BlackBerry Z10, Kindle Fire

NBA Game Time

NBA Game Time features scores, stats and schedules for every NBA game, video highlights from around the league, and mobile access to NBA League Pass, featuring live games. (Extra fee required.) You can get alerts for your favorite team, and join Twitter streams for every game.

Platform:iOS, Android, Kindle Fire

WatchESPN

WatchESPN features live streaming of games and original content from the whole family of ESPN networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU. Top events include NBA regular season and playoff games, Major League Baseball, the Masters, college football, and Barclay’s Premier League games. WatchESPN is available free to ESPN subscribers but is restricted to certain providers. Check the WatchESPN app to see if your provider is included.

Platform:iOS, Android, Kindle Fire

NHL GameCenter

NHL GameCenter features live scores and stats from every NHL game, plus post-game video highlights. You can also get video-on-demand content, full player bios, and customized profiles for up to 5 of your favorite teams. For just $4.99 you can upgrade to NHL GameCenter Premium for live radio broadcasts of every game, plus in-game video highlights.

Platform:iOS, Android, BlackBerry

theScore Mobile

Perhaps the most comprehensive sports score app available, theScore features previews, live scores and post-game analysis for every game from over 20 different sports around the world. Information includes up-to-the-minute league standings, team and individual stats, and top stories. You can receive free alerts from any game, including goals and key moments.

Platform:iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire

ESPN ScoreCenter

ESPN ScoreCenter is a completely customizable score tracker that gives you play-by-play information for all your favorite teams and players. Features include in-depth game coverage, breaking news, video highlights, and links to WatchESPN. You also have the ability to share favorite games, news and highlights with friends.

Platform:iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Warning: Streaming live video and other content can consume large amounts of data. Switch to Wi-Fi or regularly check your data allowance to avoid extra charges.

Summer is almost over and we’ll soon be enjoying Fall, my favorite season of the year. For me, Fall means trips to the orchard, pumpkin patches, sweater weather, and better hair days since we get to say good bye to humidity. Unfortunately, for me it also means seasonal allergies. Some days aren’t so bad, but at other times my eyes are bloodshot and irritated and my throat feels as though I’ve been snacking on fiberglass.

The good news is that having a heads up on what to expect goes a long way in trying to manage those symptoms. And, as always, our smartphones can help. Here are a few apps that can make stepping outside your front door a lot less miserable.

AllergyCast

Sponsored by Zyrtec, AllergyCast sends you a daily weather forecast and pollen count based on your GPS location, so you know what the local conditions will be like and can plan your day. AllergyCast helps you track your symptoms, sends alerts and notifications when the count is high, and provides handy tips on how to manage your symptoms.

Platform:iOS and AndroidPrice: Free

WebMD Allergy

With so many over-the-counter, prescription and home remedies out there, figuring out exactly what is causing your allergies and how best to treat them can be daunting. WebMD Allergy offers personalized allergy and weather forecasts, plus doctor recommended tips on how best to fight your symptoms. You can even create reports for your doctor to improve your overall level of care.

Platform:iOSPrice: Free

RxmindMe

RxmindMe is a comprehensive prescription medication tracking app, which can be used for more than just allergy management. Enter your prescription information, set dosage reminders, take pictures of your prescriptions, and track your prescription history for yourself and your entire family. You can download or e-mail your prescription history, and everything is password protected to keep your information secure.

Platform:iOSPrice: Free

AroundMe

On your way to a crazy cat lady’s house and forgot your Benadryl? No worries – AroundMe uses your phone’s GPS to provide a list of businesses nearby, including pharmacies and supermarkets. No need to wheeze your way through another visit. From within the app you can see the location on a map, the most direct route, add it to your contact list or email the information to a friend.

Platform:iOS, Android, Windows PhonePrice: Free

Allergies can be annoying at best and life threatening at their worst. The good news is that help is in the palm of your hand.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology.

On the anniversary of 9/11, it’s hard not to recall the images of destruction and chaos that stunned the nation just 13 short years ago. While we have been spared another terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11, there have been plenty of natural disasters that have had a devastating impact on local communities, including hurricanes in the East, tornados and floods in the heartlands, and fires and continuing drought conditions in the West.

While it’s impossible for anyone to prevent these disasters from occurring, there are plenty of things we can do to better handle the impact of such events. Organizations both large and small have embraced mobile platforms as vital tools for disseminating important information during a crisis. This includes advice on how to prepare for an emergency, what to do once that emergency arrives, and how to cope with the aftermath.

Here are just a few of the many emergency preparedness apps that can make a difference in these challenging situations:

Red Cross

Rather than just one app, the Red Cross offers a whole series of apps, including a Hurricane App, a Shelter Finder App, a First Aid App, an Earthquake App, a Wildfire App, and even a Pet First Aid App. Each app includes emergency notifications; step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your family and your home; how to help friends and neighbors; and hints on how to handle food and water during power outages. There are even interactive quizzes to help you prepare for the real thing.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

FEMA

The FEMA app features preparedness information for all different types of disasters, an interactive checklist for emergency kits, and information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster. There is also information on how to plan an emergency meeting location for family and friends, and a map of FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations for accessing supplies and emergency aid.

Platform: iOS, Android, BlackBerryPrice: Free

HurricaneSoftware.com’s iHurricane Free

The iHurricane app brings HurricaneSoftware.com’s award winning hurricane tracking software to smartphones and tablets. You can get the latest real-time satellite data, the predicted hurricane path, strike possibilities, wind speeds, and more. iHurricane allows you to track multiple hurricanes at one time, as well as access historical data for past seasons and individual locations.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

Pocket First Aid & CPR

Developed by the American Heart Association, Pocket First Aid & CPR includes hundreds of pages of instructions on what to do in emergency situations, including dealing with choking, burns, CPR, seizures, diabetic emergencies, and more. A first aid checklist makes sure you have what you need in the event of an emergency, and the emergency contacts screen allows one-click dialing to reach your doctor and other essential services.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

WISER

First responders and others exposed to emergency situations often have to deal with hazardous material. WISER helps those individuals by providing important information about hazardous substances and guidelines on what to do if you come into contact with such material. Various User Profiles allow users to specify what role they are playing at the scene of an incident, so the information presented can be customized to suit the individual.

Platform: iOS, Android, BlackBerryPrice: Free

ICE Standard

Developed by About the Kids Foundation, ICE Standard (ICE stands for In Case of Emergency) is an emergency card app, which lists an individual’s complete medical history, emergency contacts, insurance details, blood type, and more. ICE Standard features a unique color-coding plan to quickly allow first responders to determine if there are any serious medical issues. For example, red indicates severe allergies, heart conditions, etc., yellow indicates the individual is taking medication, while green suggests no complications. The ICE Standard is regarded as an excellent back up to a normal emergency medical card.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

Disaster Alert

The Disaster Alert app is a listing of ‘Active Hazards’ occurring around the globe. By Active Hazards the developers mean current and real-time incidents that could be “potentially hazardous to people, property or assets.” This includes everything from hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis to areas of drought or serious health risk. The app includes alerts, notifications, and interactive maps.

Homeschooling has never been more popular. Unofficial estimates put the total of homeschooled children at close to 2 million, and that number continues to grow even while the overall total of school-age children is in decline. While some parents cite moral and religious reasons as factors in their decision to homeschool, others are just dissatisfied with what schools have to offer, preferring a non-traditionalist approach where children can learn at their own pace.

While previous generations may have struggled to find resources for effective homeschooling, today’s parents are supported by a vast array of digital devices and online services. At the forefront of this tech-driven revolution is a huge treasure-trove of educational apps. Whether it’s English, the arts, geography, history, math, music or science, there is literally “an app for that.”

The following is just a tiny sample of the many great apps that are available for kids of all ages and abilities:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Includes all the definitions from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Offers voice-activated word search, an integrated Thesaurus, Word of the Day, and other great vocabulary-building tools.

Platform: iPhone/iPod, iPad, AndroidPrice: Free

World Atlas by National Geographic

The same wonderful detail that you are used to seeing on National Geographic’s award-winning wall maps. Includes 3 different styles of maps. Synced with Microsoft Bing maps to zoom down to street level. Includes the Flags and Facts database for up-to-date geographic and socio-economic data.

Platform: iPhone/iPodPrice: $1.99

Fishtropolis

This free Scrabble-like app helps kids develop world building and vocabulary skills. 15 different levels with over 2,500 hidden words. Stuck on a word? Just shake to scramble the keyboard and start over. Includes word definitions and iPod music support.

Platform: iPhone/iPodPrice: Free

Simplex Spelling HD

For first and second graders. Improves spelling and reading skills in a fun and interactive way by using a “reverse phonics” approach to learning. Over 220 of the most common English words. Can also help remedial students or students learning English as a second language.

Platform: iPhone/iPod, iPadPrice: $2.99

Shake the States

A simple app puzzle of the US that helps children – and parents – learn the location of all the states. Touch and drag 1 of the 50 states to its proper position on the map and it will stick; make a mistake and it will fall away! Also teaches the proper pronunciation of the states’ names.

Platform:iPhone/iPod, iPadPrice: $1.99

Presidents vs. Aliens

Learning presidential details has never been easier, faster, or more fun! As you learn all the presidential facts, including quotes, nicknames and historical events, you use your knowledge to help the presidents defeat the aliens. As you collect presidents, you unlock bonus games, including Heads of State!

Platform:iPhone/PodPrice: $1.99 (“Lite” version: free)

Tam & Tao in Numberland

Every homeschooler of young children needs a good ‘learn your numbers’ app – this award-winning Montessori Method app is our favorite. See how to write a number, hear its name, and count objects to reinforce the learning. Practice writing numbers using a digital notebook. Learn numbers in another language by switching between English, Spanish and French.

Platform:iPhone/iPod, iPadPrice: $1.99

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting

Two different apps here: Zaner-Bloser Manuscript and Zaner-Bloser Cursive. Pick the one your child needs. Includes video animations to show the correct formation of all letter and numbers. Shaded and blank tracing screens are used to help kids practice. Built-in “reward” system to celebrate success.

Platform:iPhone/iPodPrice: $1.99 each

Jungle Time

An easy-to-use, intuitive app which helps kids learn how to tell the time. Shake or tap the device to pose a new problem and drag the clock hands to show the correct time. A talking clock reads the question aloud and confirms the time when you set the clock.

Platform:iPhone/iPodPrice: $0.99

Chore Pad

And one to help you run your homeschool more smoothly! Chore Pad lets you allocate tasks and chores to every member of the family. Set up rewards to keep your kids on track and motivated. Simple charts show what has been accomplished by each user on a daily and weekly basis.

If there is one area that has been completely revolutionized by the switch to mobile devices, it is the way we listen to music. Although the revolution started with our ability to digitize our own music collections through services such as iTunes, the focus is now on an array of apps that offer almost unlimited on demand streaming, whether it’s from vast music libraries or over-the-Internet radio stations.

On demand music streaming is a great way to hear your favorite tracks, as well as discover new songs and artists. Many of the apps will recommend tracks based on the songs you have previously chosen, and others will offer additional services, such as personalized playlists, video streaming, and social networking tools. Here are 7 of our favorites:

Pandora

One of the first and still one of the best. Just name a song, artist or genre and Pandora will create a “radio station” that will sound like it was designed just for you. The more you play songs, the more Pandora gets to know you, tailoring future selections to meet your specific musical tastes.
Pandora is free but a $36 annual subscription (or $3.99 per month) will eliminate the ads and provide a higher quality audio experience. Available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Xbox Music

Xbox Music is basically a two-tier system: the basic music streaming service is free over the Web (although it’s restricted to 10 hours of music a month after the first six months) or you can upgrade to Xbox Music Pass and get unlimited ad-free music streaming across all your devices for $9.99 per month. You can download songs and listen to them offline and Xbox Music will automatically sync your songs across all compatible devices. Available for iOS and Android.

iTunes Radio

Similar to Pandora, iTunes Radio was introduced by Apple during the recent upgrade to iOS 7. You can listen to DJ-curated stations or you can create stations of your own. The more songs you listen to, the more iTunes Radio will personalize your stations. iTunes Radio also comes with featured stations – an eclectic mix of music collections, including everything from Top 100 chart hits to emerging artists. Available for iOS.

Nokia Music

Exclusively available on Nokia’s range of Windows phones, Nokia Music is one of the best music apps available, offering free (and ad-free) unlimited streaming in a variety of different formats, including mix radio, create a mix, offline, and a full music store. You can even get details of upcoming gigs in your home town area. Available on Nokia’s Windows phones.

Rhapsody

One of the original music streaming services, Rhapsody now boasts a catalog of over 18 million songs, all of which are accessible ad-free for only $9.99 a month. As long as you are a member, you can also download as many songs as you want to your smartphone or tablet for offline listening.
You can search music by artist, song title or genre; set up playlists; or listen to one of Rhapsody’s 150+ radio stations. Sign-up includes a 30-day free trial period, and membership can be cancelled at any time. Available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

Rdio

Adopting a slightly different approach, Rdio combines the usual music streaming options with a heavy dose of social networking. You can search your Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail contacts to share music with friends and follow their selections, or Rdio will recommend people for you to follow so you “know what’s cool first.”
Rdio offers unlimited web and mobile streaming for $9.99 per month and you can cancel at any time. Available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

iHeart Radio

Putting the emphasis firmly on radio, iHeart Radio offers unlimited free access to over 1,500 live radio stations from coast-to-coast, including pop, rock, talk, sports and more. You can also pick a song or artist and create your own commercial-free custom radio station. Available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

The kids may just be getting back from camp but it’s never too early to start thinking about what they will need for back to school. Being organized and having the right study tools at their disposal will be half the battle. That’s when smartphones and tablets can stop being a distraction and start being a 24/7 study aid.

Today’s mobile devices can help students by providing everything from a quick dictionary definition to an in-depth math tutorial. There are dozens of apps that will help your student get organized for the new school year, and hundreds more that cover everything from chemistry to calculus. Here are 7 of our favorite back-to-school apps for high-schoolers:

myHomework

A must for every student, myHomework allows them to quickly organize and access homework assignments and classes with a simple touch. Includes calendar, reminders and the ability to sync to your student’s home computer and other devices. Students can see what classes they have each day and what assignments are late, complete or coming up. They can even add after-hours activities for a complete picture of the entire school day.

Platform:iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, AndroidPrice: Free

iStudiez Pro

It’s hard enough to remember all those tangents and cosines without worrying about where and when the calculus class actually is! iStudiez’ powerful calendars and schedules will do all the heavy lifting for students, simplifying the school day with notifications and alarms so they’ll never miss a class. It’ll even track grades, so if they start slipping, iStudiez Pro can remind your student to start polishing a few apples!

Platform:iPad, iPhone, iPod touchPrice: $0.99

Dictionary.com

One of the most overlooked weapons in a student’s arsenal, a proper dictionary is absolutely essential for any serious student. Featuring over 2 million definitions, synonyms and antonyms in the dictionary and built-in Thesaurus, Dictionary.com includes audio search and pronunciation, and example sentences for a precise understanding. Dictionary.com also works off line when searching words, so no Internet connection is needed.

Platform:iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, AndroidPrice: Free

FlashCards Deluxe

Although index cards can still be helpful in committing important facts to memory, today’s students shouldn’t have to suffer a messy pile of 3 x 5 notes when they can swipe through virtual cards on their iPad or iPhone. Not only will Flashcards Deluxe save precious room in backpacks everywhere, it will help students learn in ways index cards never could, with intuitive study modes, pictures and audio recordings.

Platform:iPad, iPhone, iPod touchPrice: $3.99

Khan Academy

This award-winning app for the iPad gives students access to a library of over 3,200 videos explaining and illustrating everything from advanced mathematical problems to straightforward historical events. All the short lessons are conducted in the Khan Academy’s trademark style, with simple steps and a clear narration. A log allows students to record the videos they have seen and track their progress. Khan Academy is a great teaching aid, as well as a study

Platform:iPadPrice: Free

iTunes U

iTunes U consists of a more than 500,000 free lectures, videos, books and other resources on subjects from algebra to zoology. Courses are created and taught by instructors from leading universities and other schools, including Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, UC Berkeley and more. Students can take notes and highlight text in iBooks, as well as share favorite courses with friends using Twitter, Mail and more. Despite the higher education feel, iTunes U is designed to assist both high schoolers and college undergraduates.

Platform:iPad, iPhone, iPod touchPrice: Free

Free Graphing Calculator

The graphing calculator has long been a staple of every high-schooler’s backpack but at $100 and up, the Texas Instruments version can make a dent in any household budget. Instead iPhone and iPad owners can turn to the Free Graphing Calculator app from William Jockusch. Covering all the usual math topics such as algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry and vectors, the Graphic Calculator also helps with scientific calculations.

Most everyone wants to lead a frugal life these days, however, it’s something that’s easier said than done. Managing money often becomes a full-time task, and just doesn’t seem worth the pennies saved if it’s eating up every spare moment of your time.

Thankfully, leading iPhone developers have created some great apps to help you reduce your spending. These ten entries are a mix of saving and budgeting apps guaranteed to help you achieve the frugal life that you’ve always dreamed of while making your expensive mobile device help to pay for itself along the way.

Mint.com Personal Finance

The Mint.com personal finance tracking app is listed as one of the best apps by a number of media outlets, including CNN, MacWorld and the Wired App Guide. You can create an account and add all your personal financial accounts, allowing you to aggregate your transactions to track where you are spending the most. The free app also creates a budget, which will tell you exactly how much you have left and where you can make savings.

The Coupons App

As well as helping you find the best coupon deals, The Coupon App lists comparative gas prices, has a barcode scanner and delivers alerts directly to your iPhone. You can create a calendar that will list coupons in order of relevance and expiration date, so that you never miss out on the best deals available. All you need to do to redeem a coupon is display it to the cashier at a participating store.

RedLaser – Barcode Scanner

One of the best barcode scanning apps around, RedLaser is never off duty. If you’re in a listed store, the app will identify all relevant deals, discounts and sales available. You can find alternatives and cheaper options, too, simply by scanning a product that you wish to purchase. There are thousands of listed stores, for both online and brick and mortar retailers. You pay nothing for the app, while making big savings most everywhere that you shop.

Coupon Sherpa Mobile Coupons

Another great shopping app, Coupon Sherpa makes redeeming coupons easy as pie. Simply present your on-screen coupon to the cashier and he can scan it right from your iPhone. The app has a built-in GPS store tracker, making it easy for you to find participating outlets. A “nearest store” feature won’t leave you tracking for miles to find a deal, and with money saving suggestions delivered to your phone, you can learn how to save even more each day.

Shopper Pro

This is a grocery shopping list app with one big difference. Shopper Pro lets you create recipes and shopping lists and categorizes all your product searches for easy reference. This version of the app costs $0.99, however, Shopper Pro is packed full of useful features for living a frugal life. A barcode scanner will help you make more informed decisions, and the budgeting and planning feature automatically works out your spending both with and without coupons savings.

Daily Shopper

With Daily Shopper you get a database of top saving sites that are categorized by name, category or popularity. So that you’re not being swamped by irrelevant search results, you can also edit and refine your lists to create a database of savings that are unique to your purchasing habits. This free app refreshes available deals as soon as data is updated by the vendor, which means you’re always kept in the loop.

Pocket Expense Personal Finance

One of the most customizable budgeting apps on the market,Pocket Expense Personal Finance gives you total freedom over your spending. You can set budgets for multiple accounts, as well as easily transfer funds between budgets. Charts and customizable icons make it simple to personalize how your budget and finance records display, so that you never find yourself over spending.

Spending Tracker

Sometimes simplicity is the key to a more frugal life. Spending Tracker will help you maintain a budget with spending trackers, weekly, monthly or yearly budget settings and editable spending and income categories. The interface on this free application is clean and simple to use, making this a great financing app to install on your iPhone.

Unsplurge

The novel idea with this app is that community and support are essential elements to living a frugal life. Unsplurge relies on the participation of community members, who all share the common goal of shedding the shackles of overspending. The concept is simple: you set your saving goals and record your progress and the results are shared among the community. Everyone benefits from the experiences of the collective with this app.

Saver ~ Control your Expenses

The problem with a lot of finance apps is that they’re time-consuming and overly complicated. Saver was designed specifically to work for people who want to track spending no matter where they are. For that reason, this free app works on a simple entry and quick tap system, allowing you to manage your spending without too much hassle.

While smartphones and tablets can be great entertainment devices in their own right – watching movies, streaming music, reading e-books are just some of the things you can do – they also provide a quick and convenient way to arrange a good night out.

Whether you are looking for a great restaurant, buying movie tickets, or trying to find out which bands are in town, smart location-based apps and lightning-fast networks can help you plan the perfect evening in mere seconds.

Here are a few of our favorites:

OpenTable

Long regarded as the #1 restaurant-booking app by business people and regular consumers alike, OpenTable allows you to reserve a table at over 25,000 restaurants in the US and Canada. You can browse listings by location, menu, price or rating, and many restaurants also allow you to review specific tables. An OpenTable loyalty system allows you to accumulate dining points, which can be cashed at any OpenTable restaurant for instant savings on your bill.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerryPrice: Free

Fandango Movies

Whether you are a movie buff or just make the occasional trip to the multiplex, Fandango Movies has everything you need, including reviews, ratings, high-quality trailers, show times, and a sophisticated ticket purchasing system covering over 21,000 screens nationwide. You can search by title, location, genre, rating and more, and you can even sign up to receive FanAlerts when new releases come to town.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerryPrice: Free

Eventbrite

A great app for finding out what’s going on in your local area, Eventbrite lists everything from music festivals to food and wine tastings to charity fun runs. A location-based search tool will tell you what’s happening nearby, or you can search for events by location or activity. You can also check in with Facebook to find out which events your friends are going to. Eventbrite not only lists events but it can help you organize one too!

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

LocalEats

Purposely avoiding the big national chains, LocalEats instead concentrates on the best independently owned restaurants, as recommended by food critics, bloggers, local dining web sites and more. LocalEats covers virtually every metropolitan area in the US and over 50 international cities. You can search by cuisine, neighborhood, features, price range, and opening hours. LocalEats prides itself on featuring thousands of “undiscovered gems” frequented only by knowledgeable locals.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: $0.99

Bandsintown

The top concert and live music listings app, Bandsintown makes sure you never miss your favorite band, while helping you discover dozens of new and up-and-coming artists. Bandsintown includes complete concert and venue listings for every city; tour schedules for individual artists; notifications for future tour dates; and dozens of reviews and recommendations. You can connect to hundreds of ticket buying sites and share all your finds with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

Zomato

If you like a little more spontaneity in your dining selections, then you can try Zomato and its much-heralded restaurant-finder feature. Zomato will use GPS and local networks to suggest a nearby eatery. If you want a little less randomness, then you can search by cuisine or price, or browse recommendations from your friends. You can also use Zomato to make reservations and track your dining history.

Platform:i OS, AndroidPrice: Free

Gravy

If you’re looking for something a little different, then you might want to try Gravy, which promises to provide you with “the most relevant event ideas based upon your mood.” Gravy tracks your location to provide details of what’s going on around you, or you can use the search feature to plan ahead for a trip. The maps feature helps you plan drive times, and all your events can be saved to your own personal calendar.

Platform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free

Best Parking

Once you’ve decided where to go, you’ve now got to find somewhere to park! BestParking is a parking search engine that will help you find the cheapest and most convenient parking garages and lots in 85 cities and 115 airports throughout the US. Details of each location include hours of operation, pricing, indoor/outdoor, self-parking/valet, etc. BestParking also includes special discounts and coupons for additional savings at hundreds of parking establishments.

Platform:i OS, Android, BlackBerryPrice: Free

Uber

If you don’t want to drive, then you can always take a taxi. (Particularly recommended if alcohol is involved!) Uber allows you to compare rates, book your taxi electronically, track its arrival, and pay with PayPal or your credit card. Uber operates in 55 countries and more than 200 cities worldwide.